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Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder Review, Photos, Swatches

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder ($29.00 for 0.20 oz.) is described as a “soft pink shimmer with golden iridescent sparkle.” It’s a pink-peach with a golden shimmer-sheen with larger gold sparkle and a frosted, slightly metallic, sheen. Tom Ford Beauty Highlighter (Softcore) (LE, $55.00) is lighter, less sparkly. Urban Decay Streak Highlighter (P) is pinker, finre shimmer. bareMinerals The Many Splendors #2 (LE) is less sparkly. MAC Talk of the Town (LE, $27.00) is darker swatched but looks similar applied. Le Metier de Beaute Whisper (P, $30.00) is less sparkly. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Like the original (now called Luminous, this has an abundance of sparkle and a more metallic finish. I’m always surprised that it doesn’t create hyper-awareness of pores, just because it looks like a glitter-fest in the pan and when swatched, but I think that a lot of the sparkle gets trapped between the bristles of the brush (both the included one, hidden underneath the powder that Urban Decay created as well as any brush I use from my own stash) so less makes it onto the face. It does slightly emphasize pores even with a light application. It had semi-opaque color coverage with a very finely-milled and silky texture, but it was powder, so despite seeming to have a lot of payoff, only some of it adheres to the skin (the rest blends away, you could even just blow it away). There is a lot of excess powder that gets kicked up the moment anything touches the surface of the powder. You may want to use a stippling or less dense brush with this, as a brush picks up more product than most will probably want applied, given how metallic the finish runs. The sparkle is mostly visible in the sunlight, where the light reflects and catches on it, but it’s more of a frosted sheen under most lighting conditions. It wore well for seven hours on me before it started to fade. It has the same suede-like exterior packaging as the original release.

See more photos & swatches!

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder
Urban Decay Aura Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder

Makeup Look
On face:
  • Guerlain Parure de Lumiere
  • Urban Decay Naked Loose Finishing Powder
On lips:
  • Smashbox Azalea Be Legendary Lipgloss

63 Comments

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Laura M Avatar

The original UD illuminating powder is an exclusive to Ulta – is this going to be the same? I’m really eager to swatch this in a store because I love the original one so much!

Lotus Avatar

I see now. Are these akin to midnight cowboy in the way of micro glitter & shimmer fallout going everywhere? I don’t want a mess. You just wear things well! I pass. Eddie Funkhouser has great highlights 🙂 I’m trying to find a reason to not indulge in CdP.. But I don’t want to miss it like the Dior one.. Any suggestions? Oh!! I’ve been meaning to ask if any know of trusted places to swap/sell ? Thanks! (I’m also thinking next year will have a lot of blue 🙂 ) <3

Christine Avatar

It’s finer than Midnight Cowboy–more sparkle than glitter–and I find a lot of the sparkly bits don’t make it onto the face (if you’re familiar with some of NARS’ glittery blushes, they apply similarly). You have to love a pretty obvious, metallic highlighter to get behind the UD ones, IMO. Cle de Peau is subtle, glowy – I find it very beautiful applied – but the UD is less flattering applied. Aura is prettier on, I think – a little different with the pinky-peach tones at least.

Lotus Avatar

Thanks for the quick response! No disco these days! I fully agree with you about Aura. Very pretty. I’m unsure if it would be like that On my lighter skin.. But, are CdP necessary? Does anything come close? Meteorites? Hourglass ambient powder? BECCA highlighters in liquid or powder? (My mind is reminding me of the pretty packaging and placement of CdP pastel & delicate pink) hmm.. 😉

Christine Avatar

Do you have MAC Motif? I know you have an extensive stash, so if you have that, I think it is similar in effect and color to Aura, just less shimmery.

I’m SURE you are covered in highlighter options, so I don’t think CdP is going to be life-changing for you, honestly! I think Guerlain and Chanel’s LE highlighters are often similar to it. Ambient Lighting is less shimmery, Becca powder wayyy more shimmery, liquid subtler.

Lotus Avatar

Ahhhh!!! THANK YOU! You successfully have me NOT trying to purchase! THAT IS MAJOR! I thank you SO much! I don’t know if I can avoid the armani liners.. The multiplicity of uses is astounding for those gems! I hope they are available for awhile! Ingenious! <3 U. Thank you. For everything. 🙂

Helene Avatar

A metallic finish, and sparkle and even glittery. No not for me. It looks very pretty on you, I must say. My pores would look like swimmingpools with this! :O

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